More than 90 percent of the new homes built in the United States are insulated with fiberglass in Arlington, but there are several other options for homeowners who want to improve energy efficiency and cut heating costs. One contender that offers several important benefits is cellulose insulation.

Homeowners are writing checks for yet another high cooling bill, while others are dreading the rising heating costs as winter approaches. Although the quick fix to save on energy costs is to turn up the thermostat in the summer and turn it down in the winter, making simple, cost-effective changes in the hidden areas of your home — the attic, basement and crawlspace — can help you save money without sacrificing comfort.

Energy bills soaring this winter? Fortunately, you can do something about them. By following some or all of these simple strategies, you can keep a cap on energy usage, while keeping your family comfortable in Arlington. Add a layer to your attic insulation, especially if your home was built before 1980. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to cut heating and cooling costs, according to the Department of Energy. As a general rule, if you have less than 12 inches of insulation in your attic, you probably need more.

The manufacture of fiberglass insulation is an improvement upon slag wool, which comes from steel mills. Volcanoes started it all with rock wool. When most people think of home insulation, fiberglass almost always comes to mind.

Once upon a time, people in Arlington thought the cost of a house was the price they paid for it, and the cost of insulating a house was the amount they paid the lumberyard or the insulation contractor. In the late 1970s, and periodically since, we learned that the cost of owning a house includes the cost of heating and cooling it in the years following purchase.

In the previous installment we reviewed how to determine the optimum amount of insulation, considering the nature of the construction, the fuel type and the climate. In this installment we will consider a buildings thermal envelope, the type of insulation appropriate to each surface, and how to install it properly.

Insulation in Arlington helps us tolerate nature's extremes, lowering home heating and cooling bills, and keeping us comfortable. Rising energy costs and more stringent government recommendations on energy efficiency are prodding builders and homeowners to look at this basic building component more carefully and find ways to stretch insulation dollars.

There are three mechanisms by which this heat transport occurs: conduction, convection and radiation (Illustration 1). Conduction is the reason a frying-pan handle gets hot. The handle is not in the flame, but it is attached to the pan, which is in the flame, and the heat is transferred from molecule to molecule up the handle. Convection is the transport of heat by the molecules of a fluid.

The most important component from a weatherproofing standpoint is the insulation package. If a home in Arlington is insulated correctly, air and moisture infiltration points will be minimized and you will reap substantial returns in comfort and lower energy bills.